Course Catalogue

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The Individual Project enables students to undertake a period of independent research on a Global Communications topic of their choosing. The research will be on a specific field, subject or issue within the field of Communications, will demonstrate knowledge of relevant scholarship in the field, and will apply methods of data collection, analysis and interpretation appropriate for the subfield(s) researched. The project will normally be undertaken after the end of Semester 2 and will be submitted at the end of the academic year.

1x hours supervisory meeting(s)

5x hours structured group supervision (for example, a workshop, and/or a structured peer-supervision, and/or a mid-summer student conference)

Standard entry to Masters at College Level. A candidate will be permitted to progress in preparation of the dissertation, or other substantial independent work required by the degree, normally if they have obtained a grade point average of 12.0 or above in the taught courses with at least 75% of the credits at Grade D3 or above and all the credits at Grade F3 or above.

None

None

 The standard assessments for this course are: 

■ Communications resource (eg policy critique, research report, poster, or other resource as appropriate to the topic and agreed with convener/supervisor; reflecting 200 hours of effort, 30%) 

■ Presentation reporting on the resource (20%) 

■ A piece of academic writing to contextualise the project, 5000-6000 words (50%) 

If required, for instance where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, the following alternatives are available: 

■ There are no alternatives to the Communications resource, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

■ Recorded presentation or one-to-one presentation / discussion/Q&A with staff (where presentation would normally be in class) as alternative to presentation.

■ There are no alternatives to the piece of academic writing, but flexible deadlines can be offered as reasonable adjustment (Students should follow the usual process for extensions). 

Further reasonable adjustments may be provided where necessary. Students are encouraged to consult with the course convenor.  

This course aims to provide students with:

• an opportunity to conceive, develop and execute a piece of independent research in the field of communications

• a research focus for students to test ideas and arguments of the academic and professional communities and develop their own arguments and insights

• a framework to put their project into the wider context of their professional field.

By the completion of the project students will be able to:

• identify scholarship relating to their chosen topic

• situate their research in wider context of Communication studies

• compile and critically analyse relevant evidence

• display relevant, detailed and informed knowledge of the chosen topic.